GOFFA FROM THE BLOCK

Well almost.  Will be glad to see the back of 2014 and the odd years are normally much kinder to me so here's to 2015. If memory serves me correctly my blog will be 9 years old tomorrow.  Not really sure where to go with it really.  I never thought I'd keep it going so long and in a way that's all that keeps me doing it.  Until this year I generally received 20 to 30 views a day which made it worthwhile to me but this that has really tailed off.  And so far the post before this one has received no views.   Probably not surprising given my 8 month absence.  The 44 year old me wouldn't have been bothered but sadly Goffa circa 2014/15 is. Hey ho, I'll give it a go for a bit longer but if the nil pwa gets to say 5 posts I'm out of here.  It's not like I'm  a natural writer anyway.  Some of you might find it hard to believe but it's sometimes tough for me to write this rubbish.  Partly because I'm terrible at typing but also because ...

It's been a few years since I've enthused about the Boro and it will inevitably end in tears but I loved Boxing Day's 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest. There are few things in life I can say I've always loved but it's true about football.  Not always watching and there are lots of things I despise about modern football, the money, the cheating, the gamesmanship, most of the TV punditry and more but I always loved (past tense? - probably) playing.  And although I've gone a bit quiet in recent years I've never stopped loving the Boro Our supporters are taunted "You're just a small town in Yorkshire"   And of course we join in.  For long periods of my adult life "we" have punched way above our weight.  Yesterday reminded me of the successful period over the 10 years or so from 1997 and it was great.  I always knew our success would come to an end so never took it for granted.  Those days are gone,  football's moved on.  ...

Merry Christmas. Was going to have an Internet free day but I forgot that smartphones don't allow that sort of behaviour.  I got a message, replied and that was that. Had  a good day.  Woke up at Shamila's, went to see her parents, home, the Eagle with Mark, then home again for lobster and salad for Christmas lunch washed down with over half a bottle of wine.  The lobster was only meant to be my starter but hey ho. I retired to my front room to listen amongst other things my albums of the year. As I said the other night it's been a shit year for live music in Goffaland but not for the recorded variety.  I'd go as far as to bold say it's been one of my best for the LP/CD/album.  Somebody at work described my taste as unconventionally conventional and I'll take that.  I just love pop music and this year has been glorious. The playlist can be split into 4 categories, The Old Guys Vic Godard's Northern Soul offering,  1979 .  Uplift...

Back to work today and not the horror it's been for most of this year.  And and only 2 more working days this year.  That's not too bad. Had an early finish and went to take a few photos of the traffic on the A66 with Brigitte. We didn't have much time, but it was good fun. Had good intentions to do proper post but too tired.

Still not with the latest tinkering of settings but after a few clicks here and there I'm back in. Yeah, it's been a shit year for me and I've been distracted for most of it so haven't got much to say.  Boro are picking up and I'm even going on Boxing Day.  Would love to see us in the Premier League again.  It must be close to the longest we've been out of the top tier of English football since 1974/75. I've kept my eye on the politics and ..... what can I say ..... dismayed by what the public will put up with will have to do.  It's no wonder that UKIP are so popular.  They do offer something different.  The fact that most of the public are too thick and ignorant to realise you can't get a cigarette paper between them and lots of the BNP is not relevant. Facebook friends (17 and no plans to increase) may have seen my stance on voting or (more to the point) not and   ....  again, just disbelief really that people are willing to put up with th...

Here are a few photos from my Andalucían adventure last year.  Please excuse shabby formatting etc. Hanging out with the locals on Cadiz Beach as you do.  Cordoba and again  A ghostly figure in the  Santa Iglesia Catedral de Córdoba Wtf, here's another one of me and Sham hanging out with the Andalucían families on Sunday as you do. Balsa wood rules ok in Sevilla   Not sure why there is a plaque celebrating an obscure Scotish folk/rock band in The Alhambra in Grenada but hey ho.

and another month...  Not without reason to be honest.  Things are tough at the home of Goffa at the moment.  Can't speak out loud, you never know who is tuning in but I my inability to bounce back from my injury (back still not right) and more recently a virus that has so far lasted 2 weeks (seriously wtf!) in not without coincidence.  Needless to say I've got a plan that doesn't involve working for the man for another 7 years (I've done 36 years man and boy so far and counting) but I've got to keep it going for at least another 2.  Without a lottery win I'll be poor but there are lots of rich men in the cemetery.  Have I just quoted Charles Dickens?  A few things have got to drop in place and I'm relying on the world economy not collapsing (far from a given) but I'm hopeful. So why post tonight?  Had a pretty good week-end circa Goffa 2014.  I've been at home all week-end and done loads of gardening and housework ...

Was predictably going to start with a "So what's the word?" type greeting but I won't be so presumptuous to assume anybody else is even going to read this. So what have been up to? Assume silence...... so I will continue. Well my big news is I'm currently struggling with a crippling back injury.  I've had it for 2 weeks, I haven't taken to my bed or anything but I am in agony.  I had a similar problem in 2009/10 where I was laid up for a year, got addicted to a prescription drug, ended up having an injection in my spine.  Was I posting then?  You've probably heard it all before so I'll leave that one there. Resolutions - I've actually read 2 books so far this year, Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class    which I knocked it out in 4 days at the end of January and I followed this up with Luck which I read in 2.  Loved them both.  The demonization of the Working Class is of course a subject close to my heart and the term "C.....

Will somebody please slow down the clock.  I've been off work since 24 December and I've loved it all but time today is just going by way too fast.  I'm dreading going back to work tomorrow and tonight I feel like ........ as the title says. According to the ever insightful Daily Mail tomorrow is officially the most depressing day of the year . So the upside is get tomorrow over with and it's back onto easy street. Excuse sparse post tonight.  Off downstairs to drown my sorrows on half a bottle of wine left over from tea yesterday. I'll just say manyana then.

It's been a bit of a We Are The Boro day, well at least until I read the football score, Boro 0 - Hull City 2.  Who cares, for now at least. Mike and Lore did the  Albert Park 5K run  this morning.  My only regret is that I didn't join them.  I would have loved watching them anyway but it was all the more satisfying because both of them did really well running great times.  Lore now lives in Sheffield but is from Brussels, she seemed to really enjoy the run and that gave me a bit of a buzz on behalf of Middlesbrough. Gary has been doing the run for sometime and has suggested that I might like it and he's right.  I haven't ran 5000 metres since I did The Great North Run in 1981 and although there are logistical reasons why I won't be able to do it regularly I've got to have a go soon.  It is just a fantastic "feel good" community event. Just download your bar code, print it off and off you go.  ...

Had a busy day yesterday.  Brigitte and I went over to South Gare after dark to take some photos of our industry in full flow and then I went for a drink with Michael and his girlfriend.  Ouch!  Only 1 more night allowed in January and it's only on the 3rd of the month   South Gare was surprisingly busy with lots of cars coming and going.  To be honest we had our suspicions when 3 nearby parked cars sped off when we took our cameras out and the quickest of Google searches confirmed what was probably going on.   Excuse short-break while I delete my browsing history.   The wind was really strong and was blowing our tripods all over so our photos were generally crap but here are a few that I think are ok.      2 more sleeps and then back to work.  Bugger.  It's been some break though.

As usual my technical deficiencies meant it took me longer than it should have (the photos in the sidebar were the problem) but I'm pretty happy with the result. That'll have to be it for the night.  Will post to celebrate my 8th birthday tomorrow.